The present invention generally relates to a vehicle for transporting a container and more particularly to a vehicle for transporting a container and for loading and unloading a load port.
The present invention further relates to a method and to a system for transporting a container and more particularly to a method and to a system for transporting a container and for loading and unloading a load port.
Semiconductor wafers or other substrates used in the semiconductor industry are usually subjected to several processing steps. Between such processing steps the semiconductor wafers have to be moved from one apparatus to another apparatus or from an apparatus into a stocker or from a stocker to an apparatus. Typically, during such transportation the semiconductor wafers are contained in cassettes in order to keep the wafers isolated from contaminations. typical cassette for such a transfer of wafers is for instance a FOUP (front-opening unified pod), i.e. a box that has a front-opening door that can be opened and closed by robotic equipment.
The wafer containers are frequently transferred automatically between storage systems and processing devices or between different processing devices. However, a transfer is also performed by persons.
In order to ensure a secure transfer of semiconductor containers by persons, there are personal guided vehicles (PGV) provided which are able to hold the wafer containers and which may be moved for transporting a container and for loading and unloading a load port.
When personal guided vehicles are used, the problem occurs that a lot of space is needed in order to guarantee a secure transportation. Such a secure transportation can only be guaranteed, if distances between the persons that guide the vehicles are larger than a minimum distance.
The present invention seeks to solve the above mentioned problems and to provide a vehicle, a method and a system that save space in transporting, loading and unloading of semiconductor wafers.